‘Unit started work
without obtaining proper clearance’
Protesters who have been campaigning against the
functioning of a ship-breaking unit under the control of Steel Industries
Kerala Ltd. (SILK) at Beypore got a temporary relief on Friday when the Kerala
State Pollution Control Board (PCB) through an order stopped all dismantling
work.
The PCB issued the order after an inspection
conducted by the board found that the unit started the dismantling work without
obtaining proper clearance.
It also found that no sufficient measures were
taken to control the pollution threats and to process hazardous objects.
In the order, the PCB directed SILK to submit a
report in 15 days after clearing the already pointed out security hazards and
pollution threats at the unit.
Directions were also issued to stop all dismantling
activities till it got permission from the Pollution Control Board.
Following the order, an official-level discussion
planned by the district administration with the anti-ship breaking campaigners
at Beypore on Saturday was cancelled.
District-level officials did not turn up for the
meeting though the campaigners were present. Rajesh Warier, convener of the
anti-ship breaking action council, said they were denied opportunity to meet
the District Collector and other senior officers, though they tried to hold a
discussion on the issue.
‘Not informed’
“We came here as per the intimation from the
Collectorate, but no one informed us about the cancellation of the meeting,” he
said.
Mr. Warier said the action committee would go ahead
with its protest till the closure of the unit.
“The order of the PCB may not last long as efforts
are on to clear the procedures. Our plan is to convene a meeting of all
activists next week and continue with the indefinite agitation,” he added.
Source: the hindu.
24 November 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment